catch
verb
noun
kætʃ verb
1
TAKE AND HOLD
接住
a. to get hold of and stop an object such as a ball that is moving through the air b. to suddenly take hold of someone or something with your hand 突然抓住〔某人〕 I,T T
Stephen leapt up and caught the ball in one hand.
斯蒂芬跳起用一只手接住了球。
‘Pass me that pen, would you?’ ‘Here you are. Catch!’
“把那支钢笔传给我，好吗？”“给你，接着！”
The kids were throwing and catching a frisbee down on the beach.
小孩子们在下面的海滩上抛接飞盘。
He caught her elbow to steady her.
他一把抓住她的肘部帮助她站稳。
Miss Perry caught hold of my sleeve and pulled me back.
佩里小姐抓住我的袖子把我拉了回来。
2
FIND/STOP SB
抓住某人
a. to stop someone after you have been chasing them and not let them get away b. to find a criminal or enemy and stop them from escaping 捕获，逮住，抓住〔罪犯或敌人〕; T
‘You can’t catch me!’ she yelled, running away.
“你抓不到我的！”她大声叫着跑开了。
State police have launched a massive operation to catch the murderer.
州警方展开了大规模行动搜捕凶手。
If you go back to the city you’re bound to get caught .
如果你回城的话肯定会被抓住的。
3
SEE SB DOING STH
看到某人在做某事
to see someone doing something that they did not want you to know they were doing 撞见，发现，当场抓住〔某人正在干不想让你知道的事〕 T
catch sb doing sth
I caught him reading my private letters.
我看到他在偷看我的私人信件。
I caught him reading my private letters.
我看到他在偷看我的私人信件。
4
ILLNESS
疾病
to get an infectious disease 患〔传染病〕，感染上… T | BrE spoken
Anton caught malaria in Mali, and nearly died.
安东在马里染上了疟疾，差点丢了性命。
Many young people are still ignorant about how HIV is caught.
许多年轻人对艾滋病病毒是怎么染上的还是一无所知。
catch sth from/off sb/sth
Typhoid and cholera are often caught from contaminated water supplies.
伤寒和霍乱往往是由受到污染的水源传染的。
I caught chicken pox off my friend at school.
我从学校里的一个朋友那里传染上了水痘。
catch your death (of cold) BrE spoken (=get a very bad cold) 【英，口】 得重感冒
Don’t stand out in the rain. You’ll catch your death.
别站在外面淋雨，你会得重感冒的。
5
catch sb by surprise/catch sb off guard catch sb napping/unawares, catch sb on the hop
to do something or to happen when someone is not expecting it or prepared for it 使某人吃惊/措手不及 （猝不及防 ） also 又作 catch sb napping/unawares, catch sb on the hopBrE
Her question caught him off guard.
她的问题让他猝不及防。
6
catch sb with their pants/trousers down
to discover that someone is doing something that they should not be doing or has not done something that they should have done 〔出其不意地做某事〕使某人猝不及防，令某人突陷窘境
He’s not the first politician to be caught with his pants down, and he won’t be the last.
他不是第一个遇到这种尴尬的政客，也不会是最后一个。
7
ANIMAL/FISH
动物/鱼类
to trap an animal or fish by using a trap, net, or hook, or by hunting it 〔用陷阱、网、钩等〕捕捉 T
Did you catch any fish?
你捕到鱼了吗？
Early settlers caught rabbits and squirrels and even rats in order to survive.
早期移民为了生存，捕捉野兔、松鼠甚至老鼠吃。
8
catch a train/plane/bus
to get on a train, plane etc in order to travel on it, or to be in time to get on a train, plane etc before it leaves 赶上火车/飞机/公共汽车
caught the 7.15 train to London.
我赶上了七点十五分的火车去伦敦。
There’s a train in now. If you run, you’ll just catch it.
现在有一班火车，如果你跑过去正好能赶上。
I have to hurry – I have a bus to catch .
我得赶紧了，我要赶一班公共汽车。
9
NOT MISS SB/STH
未错过某人/某物
to not be too late to do something, see something, talk to someone etc 及时赶上; T | BrE
I managed to catch her just as she was leaving.
我就在她正要走时赶上了她。
I just caught the last few minutes of the documentary.
我只赶上看到了这部纪录片的最后几分钟。
Tumours like these can be treated quite easily if they’re caught early enough.
这类肿瘤只要及早发现，很容易就能治好。
catch the post
10
GET STUCK
被卡住
if your hand, finger, clothing etc catches or is caught in something, it gets stuck in it accidentally （被）夹住;（被）卡住;（被）钩住 I,T
His overalls caught in the engine.
他的工装裤卡在引擎里了。
Her microphone was forever getting caught on her clothes.
她的麦克风老是被衣服钩住。
11
catch sb’s attention/interest/imagination etc
11. to make you notice something and feel interested in it 引起某人的注意/兴趣/想象等
Lucie whistled sharply to catch the other girl’s attention.
露西大声吹口哨以引起另外那个女孩的注意。
This is a story that will catch the imagination of every child.
这个故事会激发每一个孩子的想象力。
12
not catch sth
12. to not hear or understand what someone says 没听到某事，没听清某事; 没听懂某事 spoken
I’m afraid I didn’t catch your name.
不好意思，我没听清你的名字。
13
HEAR
听到
to manage to hear a sound 听到，听见 T
I caught the muffled thud of a car door slamming in the street.
我听到街上一辆汽车关门的一声闷响。
14
catch you later
14. used to say goodbye [口] 再见 spoken
‘I’ll give you a call in a couple days.’ ‘Okay. Catch you later.’
“我过几天给你电话。”“好的，再见。”
15
DO/SEE STH
做/看见某事
to go somewhere in order to do or see something [口，尤美] 去做〔某事〕; 去看〔某物〕 T | spoken especially AmE
We could catch a movie (=go to a movie) .
我们可以去看电影。
M Records caught his act and signed him immediately.
M 唱片公司看了他的表演后，马上就和他签了约。
16
catch a ride
16. to go somewhere in someone else’s car [美，口] 搭车，搭便车 AmE spoken
I caught a ride as far as Columbus.
我搭车到了哥伦布。
17
you won’t catch me doing sth you won’t catch me somewhere
17. also 又作 used to say that you would never do something 别指望我会做某事，我不可能做某事 spoken
I love dancing but you won’t catch me being the first on the dance floor!
我很喜欢跳舞，但我决不会第一个走进舞池！
18
catch it
18. to be punished by someone such as a parent or teacher because you have done something wrong [非正式] 受罚，挨骂 informal
You’ll catch it if Dad finds out.
如果给爸爸发现的话你会受罚的。
19
catch a glimpse of sb/sth
19. to see someone or something for a very short time 看一眼某人/某物
Fans waited for hours at the airport to catch a glimpse of their idol.
歌迷们在机场等候多时，想一睹他们偶像的风采。
20
catch sight of sb/sth
20. to suddenly see someone or something that you have been looking for or have been hoping to see 忽然看到〔一直在寻找或希望看到的〕某人/某物
I caught sight of her in the crowd.
我在人群中发现了她。
21
DESCRIBE WELL
成功描述
to show or describe the character or quality of something well in a picture, piece of writing etc 〔图画、文章等〕成功地展现 （描述 ）; T
a novel that catches the mood of post-war Britain
成功刻画了英国人战后心态的一部小说
22
BURN
燃烧
a. if something catches fire, it starts to burn accidentally b. if a fire catches, it starts to burn 点着，开始燃烧 I
Two farm workers died when a barn caught fire.
谷仓失火，两名农场工人死亡。
For some reason the charcoal wasn’t catching.
不知怎么的，木炭点不着。
23
catch sb’s eye
23. a. to attract someone’s attention and make them look at something b. to look at someone at the same moment that they are looking at you 和某人目光相遇
Out on the freeway, a billboard caught his eye.
在高速公路上，一块大广告牌吸引了他的注意。
Every time she caught his eye, she would glance away embarrassed.
每次遇到他的目光，她都会窘迫地往别处看。
24
catch yourself doing sth
24. to suddenly realize you are doing something 突然意识到自己在做某事
Standing there listening to the song, he caught himself smiling from ear to ear.
他站在那里听那首歌，忽然发觉自己在咧着嘴笑。
25
HIT
击打
to hit someone in or on a particular part of their body 击打 T
The punch caught him right in the face.
这一拳正好打在他的脸上。
26
be caught in/without etc sth
26. to be in a situation that you cannot easily get out of or in which you do not have something you need 处于困境/缺少某物等
We got caught in a rainstorm on the way here.
来这里的路上我们遇上了暴风雨。
Here’s a useful tip if you’re caught without a mirror.
如果你遇到没有镜子的情况，这是个有用的方法。
27
catch your breath
27. a. to pause for a moment after a lot of physical effort in order to breathe normally again b. to stop breathing for a moment because something has surprised, frightened, or shocked you 〔因惊讶、恐惧或震惊而〕屏住呼吸 c.to take some time to stop and think about what you will do next after having been very busy or active〔忙碌之后〕停歇思考一下
Hang on a minute – let me catch my breath!
稍等一下，让我歇口气！
It was an enforced absence from work, but at least it gave me a little time to catch my breath before the final push.
我是迫不得已休息的，不过这次休息至少让我在最后冲刺之前有一个喘息的机会。
28
CONTAINER
容器
if a container catches liquid, it is in a position where the liquid falls into it 接住，盛住〔液体〕 T
Place the baking sheet under the muffin pan to catch the drips.
把烘烤板放在松饼锅下面接住滴油。
29
SHINE
照射
if the light catches something or if something catches the light, the light shines on it 照在，受…的照射 T
The sunlight caught her hair and turned it to gold.
阳光照在她的头发上，把它染成了金色。
30
catch the sun
30. if you catch the sun, your skin becomes red and sometimes sore because of the effects of sunlight [非正式] 皮肤被晒红 informal
You’ve caught the sun on the back of your neck.
你脖子后面被晒红了。
31
WIND
风
if something catches the wind or the wind catches something, it blows on it 截住〔风〕，受〔风〕 T
Gary swung the sail round to catch the light wind.
加里把帆转过来使它吃住轻风。
32
SPORT
体育运动
a. to end a player’s INNINGS in CRICKET by catching the ball that is hit off their BAT before it touches the ground b. to be the CATCHER in a game of baseball 〔棒球中〕当接球手 T I
33 to try to take hold of something 试图抓住
She caught at his arm, ‘Hang on. I’m coming with you.’
她试图抓住他的手臂说:“等一下，我和你一起去。”
34 to become popular and fashionable to begin to understand or realize something （开始）明白，意识到
The idea of glasses being a fashion item has been slow to catch on.
眼镜也是一种时尚的概念慢慢开始流行起来。
[+ to ]
It was a long time before the police caught on to what he was really doing.
过了好长时间警察才明白过来他究竟在干什么。
35 to make someone make a mistake, especially deliberately and in order to prove that they are lying 识破〔错误〕，故意使〔某人〕犯错〔尤为了证明某人撒谎〕
The interviewer may try to catch you out.
考官可能会为难你。
36 if something unexpected catches you out, it puts you in a difficult situation because you were not expecting it or not fully prepared for it 使遭遇意外
Even the best whitewater rafters get caught out by the fierce rapids here.
即使是最优秀的激流泛舟者也会在这汹涌的水流中遭到不测。
37 to improve and reach the same standard as other people in your class, group etc 赶上〔同班、同组等其他人的水平〕
If you miss a lot of classes, it’s very difficult to catch up.
如果你缺了很多课，就很难赶上。
[+ with ]
At the moment our technology is more advanced, but other countries are catching up with us.
目前我们的技术比较先进，但是其他国家正在赶上来。
38 to come from behind and reach someone in front of you by going faster 追上，赶上〔前面的人〕 catch sb up BrE :
[+ with ]
Drive faster – they’re catching up with us.
开快点，他们要赶上我们了。
You go on ahead. I’ll catch you up in a minute.
你先走，我稍后就追上你。
39 to do what needs to be done because you have not been able to do it until now 赶做，补做
[+ on ]
I have some work to catch up on.
我还有一些工作要赶着做。
I need to catch up on some sleep (=after a period without enough sleep) .
我需要补充些睡眠。
40 to spend time finding out what has been happening while you have been away or during the time you have not seen someone 打听〔不在时所发生的事情〕
[+ on ]
When I got home I phoned Jo to catch up on all the gossip.
我回家后就给乔打电话，打听所有的小道消息。
I’ll leave you two alone – I’m sure you’ve got a lot of catching up to do.
你们两个单独呆着吧，你们肯定有很多话要说。
41
be/get caught up in sth
to be or get involved in something, especially something bad 被卷入某事，陷入某事〔尤指坏事〕
I didn’t want to get caught up in endless petty arguments.
我可不想卷入这无休止的鸡毛蒜皮的争吵中。
42 to finally find someone who has been doing something illegal and punish them 〔终于〕抓住并惩罚〔某人〕
It took six years for the law to catch up with them.
花了六年时间才终于将他们绳之以法。
43 if something bad from the past catches up with you, you cannot avoid dealing with it any longer 〔过去的坏事〕缠身，找上门来算账
At the end of the movie his murky past catches up with him.
在电影结尾，他那不清白的过去终于来找他算账了。
noun
44 an act of catching a ball that has been thrown or hit 接球（动作） C
Hey! Nice catch!
嘿！ 多漂亮的接球！
45 a hidden problem or difficulty [非正式] 陷阱，隐患，圈套，诡计 C usually singular 一般用单数 | informal
This deal looks too good to be true – there must be a catch somewhere.
这笔交易合算得让人不敢相信，肯定哪里有圈套。
the catch is (that)
The catch is that you can’t enter the competition unless you’ve spent $100 in the store.
圈套就在于，你得在该店消费 100 美元，否则就不能参加比赛。
46 a hook or something similar for fastening a door or lid and keeping it shut 锁钩; 挂钩，吊扣 C
47 a quantity of fish that has been caught at one time 〔一次的〕捕鱼量 C
48 a simple game in which two or more people throw a ball to each other 传接球游戏 U
Let’s go outside and play catch.
我们到外面去玩传接球吧。
49
a catch in your voice/throat
a short pause that you make when you are speaking because you feel upset or are beginning to cry 〔说到一半时因烦恼或快哭出来而〕哽咽，哽塞
There was a catch in Anne’s voice and she seemed close to tears.
安妮的声音有点哽咽，她好像快要掉眼泪了。
50
a (good) catch
someone who is a good person to have a relationship with or to marry because they are rich, attractive etc – often used humorously 理想的对象，理想的配偶〔指富有、漂亮的对象，常为幽默用法〕